Reviews on true crime books.For readers of true crime stories you have the option to search by true crime writer,by title or by true crime genre.Also included are links for readers who prefer to buy their true crime books online and to access other readers' reviews.

Sunday, March 22, 2009

HUSH LITTLE BABIES is the true story of Darlie Routier, the neighbourhood's most wonderful mum, who, one night, coldly, calculatingly and brutally stabbed her two sons and watched them die in a pool of their own blood.Darlie claimed an intruder had come through the window, fatally stabbed her sons, six-year-old Devon and five-year-old Damon, slashing her throat with the same knife, then fled, while her husband and infant son slept upstairs. At first Darlie's testimony evoked fear and sympathy in her safe Dallas community. Then police became suspicious after these troubling questions were raised: * Why, according to the police report, didn't Darlie make any attempt to help her dying sons? * Why, when she called the police didn't she tell them that her own fingerprints would be on the murderer's knife because she had picked it up? * Why did the trail of blood left behind contradict Darlie's testimony?

This book's first chapter starts with the actual murder and they way it is written will send chills down your spine.It describes how the father tries to help his dying little boys while the mother is on the phone with 911.You will feel part of that scene while it is evolving and while I knew that the little boys died,a part of me was hoping they made a mistake on the cover and the little boys were just hurt badly.Such is the great writing in this book.But to no avail the little boys did die.You have to see the pictures of these little boys to understand what I went through reading this book.They look like little angels and another writer Barbara Davis wrote a book about this case entitled Precious Angels.I have not read that one but instead bought Hush Little Babies by Don Davis.I have not been able to find out if Don Davis and Barbara Davis are related but you will see later why I tried to find that out.

I am writing of my opinion on this specific book Hush Little Babies and I would definitely recommend reading it.The storyline is very engaging I think more so if you are a mother yourself.I think us mothers are constantly trying to make sense of mothers who do that,trying to find a solid reason,maybe of mental incapacity,to explain a crime like that since we cannot imagine any other reason of why a mother would snap and murder her own children.

But what happened to me upon reading this book is that I did not believe she had done it.This very rarely happens to me in a book and believe me if you read the book in no way is the writer trying to give that impression.The write up is relentless.

This book struck a chord with me and I was constantly swaying between she was innocent and she was guilty.The party she had at the childrens' graves made me think she was guilty and then the pictures of her injuries after the incident made me think she is innocent.I have really been keeping track of what has been happening to her since she was sent to jail and I will provide some of the links below so you can see for yourself.

I just want to give some information of what has been happening since then.Darlie Routier continues to maintain her innocence and had and still has the full support of her husband and entire family.This is another issue which makes me believe in her innocence.You can get updates on her case via the Darlie Routier website.

After you have read the book and you feel as I do then you can state your opinion via this website on the contacts link which gives you an option to state whether you think she is innocent or guilty or to join a petition to have her released or if you are sympathetic enough to actually write directly to her as her address is also supplied.

This case continues to receive a lot of publicity and the public seems to be divided right in the middle as to whether she is truly guilty or not.For some more insight on that you can go here

To really help you decide whether she is innocent or not there is another link which comes up with other possible scenarios and one of these is that they were in financial trouble and the husband paid someone to break into their house(i assume for the insurance money) but he did it on the wrong night when Darlie and her two little boys were sleeping downstairs and in a panic attacked them.To access this info click here

One other amazing fact is that Barbara Davis has since writing her book Precious Angels publicized of her feeling that Darlie Routier is indeed innocent.She wanted to have her book taken off the shelves but Darlie's family asked her not to do that as they feel that this information is important for the public as their next court appearance is going to highlight all the things done wrong in the investigation.You can read of her pleas of Darlie's innocence via the Barbara Davis website.

And to add even more intrigue to this story a new book has been published by Christoper Brown which highlights all the flaws in the investigation and obviously fights for Darlie Routier and the fact that she is innocent.I am including the link below for the book Media Tried,Justice Denied.

I want to apologise for this long winded post but I have been on this journey since I read the book and the more people who believe in Darlie the better her chances of being released.I want to believe in a better world and if there is one less mother out there who did not murder her children then the world is a better place.

I would suggest that you buy or borrow either Hush Little Babies or Precious Angels then if you have this same feeling I did about her innocence then read up on the articles above and then further get the book Media Tried,Justice Denied before signing onto any petition.

To find out more about these books access Kalahari Books for South African Readers or below for access via Amazon

I read Hush Little Babies in April 2007.It has 320 pages and 8 pages of the most poignant family pictures ever of these little angels.